Wooden gazebos do it yourself: construction features

Sooner or later, but the construction of your house ends. Then you have to think about what buildings will be needed in the yard. You may need a bath, garage, shed, other farm building, as well as a gazebo. It is about the latter structure and will be discussed below.

Gazebos can be very different: brick, forged or wooden, handmade or ready-made structures. It may even be a light purchased canopy installed in a couple of hours. But nevertheless no material can be compared with a tree, and the hand-made one cannot be compared with the purchased one.

It is a wooden arbor, which was made with its own hands, can become not only the decoration of the courtyard, but also the place where the family and its guests will gather every evening. A good gazebo is a small cozy world, the construction of which requires adherence to a number of rules and knowledge of several important points of construction. Let us consider in more detail some of the nuances and options for the construction of a wooden arbor.

Peculiarities of foundation construction

Any structure needs a solid and reliable foundation in order not only to provide reliable support for the entire structure, but also to protect it from dampness and other aggressive manifestations of natural factors, especially the latter is relevant for rot-sensitive wooden structures . Correctly erected base will protect wooden arbors from moisture and insects.

Since the wooden structure is one of the lightest, it is not necessary to build a very strong foundation for it - a small columnar variant is quite enough. But if you want a gazebo to have glazed walls and a brazier was installed in it, then it is better to choose a tape type of foundation.

Before construction, prepare the site. It removes all the fertile soil layer, which holds moisture too well, and the remaining soil is carefully leveled and covered with a layer of sand and rubble (10 cm each) and carefully tamped.

Right on the leveled surface, all the elements of the future construction are laid out: its contour and the space for the foundation pits. You need to decide in advance on the shape and size of the future gazebo. Usually preference is given to either a quadrangular or hexagonal shape. And the size should be taken based on the number of people who will be there to rest.

Before proceeding to digging holes, it is necessary to calculate their depth, it depends on the level of freezing and soil composition.

In dry sandy soils, the basement depth should be not less than 40 cm, in the forest soil it is necessary to dig from 50 to 100 cm, while mobile and heaving soils may require from 50 to 120 cm.

For erection of pillars in the foundation often use new or already used bricks and their fragments. Asbestos-cement pipes have also proven themselves well. In some cases, even a wooden pillar foundation is made, but this idea is not the best, since even if you use oak columns impregnated with protective compounds, and in dry soil, such a foundation will last a maximum of 15 years.

When installing the base, it is extremely important to set the level precisely, since the slightest bias can cause deformation of the whole structure, which will entail a complete restructuring of the structure and the construction of a new foundation.

Construction of the strapping

Along the perimeter of the future structure, it is necessary to lay out the supports on which the walls of the arbor will be installed and the flooring will be supported so as not to sag under the weight of people.

The bottom strapping will consist of a bar with a section of 100x100 mm. In the edges of a pre-measured bar grooves are cut, thanks to which they will be connected to each other in a lock. After this, the bars are fastened either with screws or with nails.

It is necessary to remember about additional waterproofing of the structure, laying the entire binding on the roofing material.

At the next stage, you need to do lags under the flooring. Lags are made from a bar, along the edges of which a sample is made so that the lag fits tightly on the perimeter of the base strapping. At this stage, it is again necessary to check the installation accuracy with the help of a level, and having made sure of the accuracy of the assembly, fix all wooden elements with screws.

For a better preservation of the tree and its protection against putrefactive bacteria and insects, it is necessary to treat it with special compounds. This may be bluestone, potassium bichromate or other means. All of them are usually very poisonous, so be careful when working with them. If there is a manual on how to use them, then read it carefully.

Lags are fastened in increments of 50 to 100 cm, depending on the expected loads, but the most frequent distance is about 70 cm.

After this, most experts advise you to lay and fix the waterproofing film over the lag additional protection of wood flooring. The film must be laid overlap, leaving no seams and gaps.

The frame and flooring

The framework of the structure is also better to be made from a bar with a section of 100x100 mm. But many choose less massive options, much depends on the size of the gazebo, roof weight, wind force, etc. First, vertical pillars are installed, and it is better to make the necessary slots in the upper part for future attachment to the rafters on the ground. These notches should be 50 mm wide and 70 mm high.

Fastening with rafters should be fixed with self-tapping screws, which, like the rafters themselves, will enter the vertical bars at an angle. But now it’s not the time of Ancient Russia and you shouldn’t try to make everything out of wood, so you can use steel corners for fastening.

The racks themselves for the strength of the whole structure can be installed in steel supports specially driven into the ground, which recommend pouring concrete for greater reliability, but only after checking the installation accuracy vertically using level and plumb lines. Skilled craftsmen put three pillars at once and fasten them with a board, which helps them not to be mistaken in the accuracy of mounting the supports.

The step between the vertical bars should be one and a half to two meters, not counting the two pillars that will be the doorways in one of the sides of the gazebo.

The next step in construction is the assembly of the flooring. An ordinary batten with a thickness of 40 mm is suitable for this. It is possible and thicker, as long as the floor does not bend.

In the center it will be necessary to install a crosspiece for fastening the central pillar; the rafters will rest on this bar. The cross is assembled separately, and then installed is ready.

Features of the roof of wooden arbors

After installing the frame and flooring, it is necessary to proceed to the construction of the roof. Depending on the model chosen, the gazebo can be fully open, when, in addition to the supporting pillars, there is only a light fence in the form of a railing, and can be sheathed with walls with built-in windows to protect against the wind and sun.

But even in case of a choice in favor of full-fledged walls, this does not pose any difficulties even for an inexperienced builder. The lattice walls look particularly beautiful and impressive, which on the one hand give a feeling of security, and on the other they do not interfere with the movement of the refreshing breeze.

Roofs can be of very different configurations: single-slope, dual-slope and multi-slope.

Of course, the most beautiful will be the last option, the more it can be done in the form of a multi-faceted cascade and other beautiful figures, but many can be frightened away by the complexity of its construction. Therefore, if you are not confident in your abilities, then choose simple options, such as a single or dual gable roof.

It is better to assemble the entire roof structure on the ground, and only then fix it to the supporting posts. The material to cover the roof, after covering it with clapboard, it is better to attend to in advance. The main thing to remember here is that our gazebo is a summer structure and there is no need to make a particularly difficult roof, but the metal roof during the rain will make a very loud noise, which will bring discomfort to the rest under its vaults.

To avoid this, a different soft roof is used: ondulin, soft tile, etc. Such protection will ensure both the reliability of the roof and the comfort of rest.

Returning to the question of the walls in your gazebo, it is worth saying that you will have to choose the open option or the closed one, here you need to take into account a lot of different nuances. But it seems that the combination of an open version with tall plants planted on the sides will be able to combine both the convenience of an open type of gazebo and protection from closed weather. You can choose the light option if other buildings are installed around the gazebo or a high fence that will protect its insides from gusts of wind during rain.

The construction of a wooden gazebo will help you not only to decorate your yard with a wonderful element, but also open up the possibility for you to relax comfortably in the garden. You can enjoy the smells and views of the garden, while not experiencing discomfort from the sun or rain.

The gazebo will become the center of all household life. It is there where you can have a good rest yourself or with guests over a cup of evening tea or treat your friends to a home-made barbecue.

We hope that you will be able to realize your dream and build an arbor that will become a real Mecca for your friends and family.